 that you feel in this camp after your experience of the last couple years now? Yeah, a lot more comfortable. I'd say it's more just confident and understanding the offense, what's expected of me, just being able to play a lot more free and not being in my head and worrying about making mistakes. Why does your room look, you know, with AJ gone and now, you know, Robert and Traylin coming in? Yeah, I mean, it's different, definitely a bunch of new faces. It's been awesome so far just being able to work with everybody. I feel like everybody works well together, pushes each other. You know, I mean, y'all were out there at practice today. I feel like there's a lot of energy within the receiver room and, you know, everybody kind of fuels each other. And so Rob makes a good play and everybody else is feeling good. Tray makes a good play, everybody else is feeling good. And, you know, I feel like that is, was kind of contagious today. And hopefully keep it, keep it going into the camp and into the season. Kyle, maybe have a little bit of a unique skill set amongst you guys as a, you guys have a lot of big receiver as a smaller guy and separates on short stuff. Yeah, I mean, that's, I feel, I feel like that's kind of throughout the league, you know, you got slot guys like that and Kyle, he makes plays and, you know, he knows what he's good at and I feel like he's been doing a good job and just got to keep working and get better. Myself, yeah, I mean, strength-wise just like balance, being able to fight pressure and not getting pushed off my route, you know, as easy, speed-wise just feeling more confident. I feel like part of that, I had the speed coming in, but I was in my head so much that I wasn't able to just cut it loose and run. Just feel a lot more confident overall coming to this year. Right, what's said that with you doing more at receiver now than you did your first couple of years, that there may be a chance that they'd have to lessen your special team's responsibilities. How do you feel about that? Because that's one of the places you've really made your mark. Yeah, I mean, it's definitely where I wanted to make my mark, but, you know, going forward, I'd love to, you know, catch the rock. I feel like everybody growing up, you as a receiver, you want to catch touchdowns and make plays, but, you know, I'm going to try my best to be a good receiver here. And, you know, if they need me on special teams, I'm still going to, you know, love that role too. Lee, it seems like you kind of watch each of you kind of talking with him at times during practice. Yeah, I mean, like I said, he's just kind of like a catalyst right now. Like, you know, he's been in the league for a while, but he still has that hunger, you know, to get better and to learn. I feel like that's contagious in the room where everybody's, you know, trying to figure out, you know, the best ways to learn the offense, you know, details of routes and different techniques that, you know, he's, you know, been able to learn over his years and definitely still has it. So it's been awesome having him in the room. How much do you feel you know what Ryan wants on a particular route these days? And do you kind of help translate that to other guys too? Like Ryan really likes this here? Yeah, I mean, it's definitely just trust, build over time and, you know, this off season over the last couple of years, just knowing by him, by Ryan communicating with us, like, hey, on this route, like the most important thing is you're here or, you know, that you're in this landmark, whatever it is. And it's been awesome just to see that this spring. I feel like there's a lot of growth there and everybody kind of being on the same page of what he wants. What type of trust? I think it's, you know, definitely grown since the first year. I'd say there probably wasn't much the first year. That's mainly on my part. But yeah, definitely, I'm happy with where it's at, but I'm also looking forward to it growing in the future. And it's going to take, you know, this camp time and building that trust to keep that going. Sorry, is trailing and is it all between them or do you also get involved as a veteran now and, you know, and help a young guy like that come along in that way? Yeah, I feel like it's kind of like what I was saying earlier, just being able to tell, you know, trailing, like, hey, this is what Ryan really wants on this play. And I feel like that communication already happens between them. And, you know, Ryan's good about, you know, coaching everybody. It doesn't matter if it's me, you know, first round pick or undrafted guy, you know, he's going to hold everybody the same standard. You think about his skill set, Nick, just from what little you've seen of him so far trailing. And also, you know, it seems certainly like there's been a pretty significant change from off-season to the first few days here. Training came, wondering if you could talk about that a little bit also. Yeah, I mean, he's got a great skill set. Everybody can see it. You know, he's a strong physical receiver. Also has some speed and great hands. And, you know, that's what every receiver needs. And it's been awesome seeing him make plays out there, especially today. And I just can't wait to keep seeing what he's going to be doing. This season, you've got the contract. What is there, one specific area of your game you're trying to work to improve this year, or is it all facets? Yeah, I would say it's all facets. I'm trying to make more of an impact when I'm out in coverage, but I'm also trying to be more consistent, just winning one-on-ones when the opportunity presents itself. But I'm just trying to improve my game overall. Just trying to be the best, you know, that versatile, productive player that I know I can be consistently to. Rich, does that feel like a sort of natural movement to you, or is that something you've really had to learn over the course of your career? I would just say it's something I had to learn over the course of my career. I didn't really do it much in college. But, you know, working with our coaches throughout my career here, I feel like I've taken a step every single year, and I'm trying to take another step this year. Is it unnatural to take your first couple steps backwards? Is that a strange feeling the first couple times you do that? It was a couple of years ago. But I mean, now it's like that's kind of like the expectation, you know what I'm saying? If I proud myself on being versatile, that's something I've got to be able to do. What do you guys get out of non-pad workouts? Harold, what are some of the things you try to work on most? And maybe, vice versa, what do you look forward to about getting into pads in the break? Yeah, I mean, the non-pad of practices to me is about improving on technique and fundamentals, playing with your hands. You're not necessarily going to go right down the middle with somebody, but you can focus on keeping your hands inside and working different moves, stuff like that, and making sure you're supposed to be where you're supposed to be with certain play calls. And then when the pads come on, then that's about tying it all together and playing physical. What do you think of the Guardian cap? Taylor said it's a little bit heavy. Yeah, I mean, the only thing I see about that is, you know, hopefully when we take it off, you know, it makes my head feel lighter. I mean, I don't really, I'm indifferent about the couch. What do you have to make sure you're ready for the season? Just coming out here and improving every single day, not taking anything for granted, and just coming out here focusing, taking it one rep at a time and just trying to improve. You know, that's all you can do. What's the next step you think for you in terms of as a player? I would say just going out there and proving that I can be that consistent, dominant, impactful player that I know I can be. And just, you know, being the guy that the team can depend on to go out there and make plays every Sunday. My use was consistent. As a player, like, how much pride do you take in that being kind of your label? Yeah, no, it's definitely versatile, productive, and consistent. You know, those are three things that, you know, I really pride myself on. And I'm not really a guy that's up and down. I try to, you know, stay the same. I try to improve on all my weaknesses and just keep maximizing what I do best. And, you know, really just staying humble, coming out here and trying to improve every single day. And then when I take the field, you know, show people, you know what I got. You, Booboxer, are you at a point now where it's all about honing in what it is you have or are there still new things as you're looking to develop? Yeah, I mean, like I said, I'm still trying to maximize the things that, you know, I do well, but also trying to add things to my game in both the pass and the run game. But no, I mean, I can always improve. Like, there's plenty of improvement that I can make. I mean, you know, and like I've been saying, you know, that's the exciting part, you know, I'm able to go out there and be productive, but with still areas to improve in, that's exciting for me. And that's why, you know, I'm excited to come out here every day and then work on those things that I need to work on. How much do you talk to a pass? How much does this ramp up period got you guys ready for when the pads do come on? Yeah, I mean, I think the ramp up period is important because, you know, no matter how hard your training, you know, away from the building, when you get back here, I feel like you need that ramp up period, especially, you know, with the amount of reps, you know, you get throughout practice, you need that build up period. So, you know, I think it's helpful and beneficial. And I think Ray is a, you know, him being a, him used to, you know, be a player. I think it definitely, that helps him make decisions. And I think he does a great job taking care of us, making sure, you know, we're getting the amount of work we need to get in. How much do you try to encourage Rashad Weaver last year when he was sitting out, heard and what have you maybe seen from him early in camp? I think he had a great mindset, you know, with dealing with that. And, you know, I'm excited to see him out here every day. And I just feel like he's been making strides ever since he's got here. You know, I'm excited to watch him play. What comes to Big Jeff? Just, you know, he has stuff he's dealing with on the side, but he's out there, he's leading. I mean, he's always ramping up. What does it mean to have a guy like that leading the defense? Oh, no, I mean, it's amazing. Like he sets the tone for our defense. He's absolutely one of the best leaders that you're gonna find. And, you know, I'm excited to have him, you know, be able to line up next to him. He's a great player, but he's also a great person. And he backs up, you know, everything he says. So, you know, that's what you need out of a leader like him. You mentioned it in the spring following your contract extension, but having that front four back, how excited, especially these last couple of days, being out there with him. Oh, no, it's awesome. And, you know, I feel like it's rare to be able to, you know, I've been blessed to be able to play in this defense and have these same coaches, basically, you know, throughout my career, which has been amazing. But to be able to come back with the same front forward to keep just building on that chemistry that we finished off the year with last year. You know, everybody's like ready to go. And it should be an exciting time. We just gotta keep, you know, focusing on coming out here and improving every day. And it should all fall into place. Yeah, but it looked great to me. Appreciate y'all. Kevin Byer, you know, being the oldest guy in that secondary room, what, you know, what does he bring, not just on the field, but off the field for you all? Well, there's been a large amount of consistency, you know, at a high level, winning football. Just day in and day out, I can always appreciate that his consistency, the way he approaches the meetings, he's focused, his willingness to do whatever we ask him to do or his willingness to help young players. And so that's, I can't say enough good things about just his daily approach. Bonnie's return last year from injury kind of helped solidify the back end. Well, I mean, we feel, you know, really good about those two guys and hopefully continue to develop, you know, guys, but it is nice when you have guys that has played a lot and made a lot of checks, both, you know, very comfortable and can play all the techniques that we ask them to do, whether that's in the deep part of the field, that's down, man coverage. And that's, that's just an asset having two guys that are versatile. This year, is there any difference? Every year is different. Right. We think of Stonehouse so far and how serious a competition you see between he and... I mean, I think it's all, hopefully there's as much competition throughout the roster, you know, as possible. And I know that that's not the case at every single position, but, you know, there's certainly, you know, we brought these young guys in here to compete and Randy and Brett have both done a nice job to start camp, obviously. You know, Caleb's not out there yet, but, you know, Stoney's been puntin' and they're gonna, you know, compete through camp. Right, what have you seen from them? You've been puntin' here a couple of times last year that you were disappointed and have Brett's been so consistent for so long, but was last year a fall off from your perspective? We're just gonna focus on where we're at this year and, you know, try to evaluate them through the opportunities in camp and then the preseason. What have you seen from AJ Moore so far and just kind of what does he maybe give you guys? Well, he comes in with energy every single day that he comes into the building. There's, you know, he loves football, he loves being around, you know, everybody loves practicing practices with great speed and, you know, has been an excellent special teams player and then continuing to work now within our defense of trying to find a role at safety and then at various spots on, you know, substituted defenses. How do you feel about Malik in the 7-on-7s and 11-on-11s taking and running with the ball and checking it down and running with it? Or do you want to see him maybe try to force something or throw the football? No, I mean, I don't want to sit there and have him throw interceptions. I want him to work through his progression and make the correct decision. You know, if we evaluate the tape and it looks like, you know, he had, you know, one of his first two progressives, you know, reads, we'd certainly want the ball to go there, but if not, then, you know, that's what you have to do is you have to progress through and sometimes guys' progression is being able to extend plays outside the pocket and being smart with the football, keeping your eyes downfield, making great decisions and then, you know, protecting the football and yourself as well. Talk to us about some of those off-season, how like the back end there, you know, Fitzpatrick, Racy McMath, Josh Malone, how have they looked to you so far? Well, I mean, I don't know if there's a back end, you know, I mean, that's Teron Davenport's opinion. I think we're going to try to give everybody an opportunity to go out there and make an impact. Josh had a good spring. See if he carries it over here. Dez has worked hard and, you know, Racy's continuing to develop and, you know, we like his size and speed. Those guys are all, you know, have good size and Dez has, you know, done some good things here in the first couple of days, but, you know, it's a long camp and a long evaluation. You have mentioned just how much he's learned from Robert Woods in the past month or so, just all the advice he's taken. He can go to with you with any questions, just how valuable, you know, is it to have a guy like Woods a vet in there that can pass on that info? Well, we'd like to have that at every position and obviously, you know, Robert's done it at different places, so when you do it at different places, that means that you've been around other players and, you know, other coaches and can always add and, you know, bring professional initiative to not only the meeting room, but to an individual that, you know, hey, I struggle with this too. I think there's some amount of empathy that some of these veterans have for the younger guys and saying, hey, I can remember when, you know, I struggled or I dropped the ball or I went through this and, you know, it's great to have Robert here with us helping, you know, the group and the rest of the offense. Which way can the torque that come with pads and contact next week, how much did that change things for Robert and Caleb and does it turn into new things in terms of monitoring them and... Yeah, I mean, I think we'll just kind of take it a day-by-day basis and see how they feel, see how they respond to today. You know, there was more work today than what maybe there was in the last couple of days, you know, and then we'll just see. But I don't think, you know, I'm not anticipating to be a big turnoff or change from where we were with pads or not pads. When will you be back first? I guess the first day is Monday, right? It's Sunday, we'll be off and then Monday. Go ahead. First of all, we were talking about how his first couple of days of OTAs were really difficult for him coming back from injury. How have you seen him progress and where's his fitness level right now? Well, the fitness level is better. Yeah, that was it. The conditioning was something that, you know, you can't replicate being out there. And then it was the hottest days, some of the, that we've had this year. And he's worked through that. He came back in good shape and, you know, he expects himself to play with great effort. And that's kind of been his strength. And, you know, do that, you have to be in condition. So you gotta go through the pain and of getting in shape and he did that. Sorry, Jimmy, what do you got? Yeah, was this the first day Woods been in 7-0-7 since he's been with you? No, no, it's not, you know, just, just gonna, those guys have been held out of one-on-ones as of now. And, but everything else has been full. You spent some time over with the tight ends during individual periods. How, or what have you seen from Chig and Austin and how has their relationship with Ryan kind of developed since when they first got in the building? Well, it's improved because, you know, neither of those players were here last year. So it's obviously improved with a low baseline. But, you know, trying to build a relationship of where the quarterback wants you, you know, on certain routes that they run in. But they're gonna have to block for us. They're gonna have to, you know, they're gonna have to be able to help us in the run game as well. So, you know, that's a large part of what those guys do. You mentioned DeMarcus yesterday as one of your off-season guys. Some things in particular that stood out for you that you like about his game or that he did during the off-season there? When he came in, worked, you know, he kind of signed, you know, after the start of the program, could only evaluate him in the time that he was here. So worked hard, brought energy, you know, got here early, stayed late, you know, sometimes after, you know, practice or run in and you don't really, you know, the lift isn't intense and he, you know, was able to bring an intensity level to that. Worked hard to learn our system, you know, coming from where, you know, Houston last year. And so, you know, that's all we can do is evaluate him, you know, why they're here. And so he showed certainly the effort and daily consistency and, you know, improved in the techniques that we were coaching each day. What's been a team that's been a guy that's really made a, first made his mark here on special teams and has become pretty good at it. As he has ascended as a receiver, do you have to monitor his special teams' use now more or lessen his role at all? Well, maybe some of the, you know, the more that he plays, maybe some of the downfield stuff. And as we, you know, begin to get, you know, some guys at Gunner, you know, that, you know, can really, you know, make that their role, their primary role, then, you know, Nick Mayer may not be out there as much. Maybe, you know, maybe he's out there on some plus 50 punts and, you know, we ask everybody to play a role in special teams at some capacity, whether that's corners that are trying to hold up the Gunner, the VICE, and, you know, sometimes, you know, coming over on the other side or receivers that play Gunner and, you know, there's tight ends that are involved. So, you know, right now, just trying to see where everybody kind of fits and maybe that does decrease. I'm not really sure. When we talked to Harold this past spring, you talked about kind of, you know, wanting to evolve a little bit more as a leader from different standpoints. So far, now that you guys have been back in the building, what have you seen from him? You know, Harold's always been pretty consistent and, you know, his personality's not going to change. I think that, you know, I wouldn't say he's a voice that you hear a lot, but that's okay. You can lead with his consistency and, you know, his play and his style. And, you know, I think it's good. He, you know, he studies, you know, rarely makes mental mistakes and, you know, rarely makes the same mistake twice. So I think that that's something that's a positive, you know, impression on some of the other guys. And, you know, he's been here for a few years. So he kind of knows what to expect and knows the program. And, you know, we ask him to do a lot of different things and play a lot of different spots. What has it been about looking at what side the last few years has given you guys faith that you could rely on him when needed, even though you haven't really needed him in games and you haven't seen him in that kind of situation? Yeah, I mean, nobody studies more. Nobody, you know, we ask a lot of the quarterbacks to get us in the right place. And, you know, Logan's been great at it. You know, we brought in some competition last year and, you know, he separated himself just with being able to run our offense and operate our offense. And, you know, he needs to continue to improve. You know, we're going to try to, you know, get both of those guys ready and the ability to compete with him in Malik. So, you know, Logan's just, you know, he's competed against every guy that we've had in here. Well, I think that they're getting in great shape. I saw him finishing today. These guys, we ask them to finish downfield and, you know, they're not going to win every single block. That's not realistic. But, you know, hopefully where they can win those one-on-one matchups in effort and getting the ability to finish downfield. You know, I felt like, you know, we don't have pads on and, you know, with the third-down stuff that we had, you know, it looked like the protection was good, good enough to get some passes off. And, you know, there's a few blitzes that maybe got us, but, you know, we'll take a look at the film. But I know they're going, they're going hard and I think there's improvement with some of the stuff that we've asked them to do, whether that's, you know, in certain pass protections or certain play actions. So, we just got to keep working and then when the pads come on, I guess we'll have a better idea. How would you like to competitive us in the fight? Maybe guys working through contact and those one-on-one drills with receivers and DBs. And do you overlook some of the contact there because it gives you, offensive players, a chance to fight through it? Well, I mean, I think we do a good job, a very good job of trying to take care of each other. I don't think that there's anything that's malicious. You know, without pads on, you certainly want to be mindful of trying to stay up. But also playing a football, you know, trying to teach them the rules of, you know, if you're playing a football and you're going through the side of somebody, you know, that's going to be okay. If you're going through the back of them, then that's a penalty. So, we always want to stay up. We want to practice fast. We want to stay away from the quarterback. And we would like to avoid, you know, some of those collisions without pads on and let you know that sometimes those are unavoidable. How do you feel inside the building, outside of practice so far, the professionalism of the team has gone? Good. I mean, we don't have too many issues. I mean, guys that, you know, we ask them to communicate if something's going on. You know, I ask them if, you know, they need a couple of minutes to collect their thoughts if something is going sideways in their life, which sometimes happens with all of us. Ask them to communicate. I'd much rather have, you know, somebody take care of a personal situation, then go into a meeting, you know, with that on their mind, because I don't think that's going to get anything accomplished. You know, we don't have to chase a whole lot of guys down to get, you know, get lifts in and things like that. So, you know, until I see otherwise, I mean, we've got a great group of guys and, you know, everybody's pretty accountable. We're glad to free last year coming off that ACL and Taylor on different sides of the ball, but now both healthy at the start of camp. I would assume has to be a good feeling just to have those guys leading, whether it be by example, just on the field, or just boisterous like how Taylor is. As many guys as we can have out there, Taylor, the better, you know, as many guys as we can have, you know, the better. And I'm excited, you know, there seems like both those guys have gotten off to good starts and how they feel and how they've been moving around.